Socket



Allg. 9, 1932. A F ROSWURM 1,870,589

SOCKET Filed Jan. 3l, 1931 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES ARTHUR F.ROSWURM, 0F LAKEWOOD, OHIO SOCKET Application 'filed January 31, 1931.Serial No. 512,692.

This invention relates to an electric socket adapted particularly foruse on such electric appliances as flatirons, toasters or any other suchappliance provided with a pair of posts upon which such socket isadapted to be received.

In devices of this type considerable diliiculty has been experiencedbecause of the tendency of the conductors making up the cable to breakunder the strain when the socket is detached from the appliance by pullon such cable. The reason for this difficulty is that the constructionis usually such that cables themselves must transmit the force of thepull to the contact members which are usually in frictional engagementwith the posts of Vthe applicant when the socket is in position thereon.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a socket of verysimple construction which will overcome these diiiculties by anarrangement causing the force of the pull on the cable to exert not onlya separating force between the socket shell and the posts of theappliance, but also to exert a considerable pull in a direction lateralto the extent of such posts.

I attain the foregoing and other and more specific objects in andthrough the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view showingthe device in position on an electric flatiron; Fig. 2 is an exaggeratedshowing of the change in 5 position of the contact members when thesocket is removed from the appliance; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the numeral 1() indicates a liatiron of any desiredconstruction pro- 'vided with spaced terminal posts 11 upon which thesocket embodying my invention is to be received. In the embodiment of myinvention illustrated, I provide a pair of shell portions 12 and 13 madeof hard rubber, bakelite or similar insulating material. These shellportions will be hollowed out centrally and provided with a rimextending around the edge, as best seen in Fig. 3, the rimsy of the twoshell portions abutting to define a hollow shell. A small opening isleft at one end for the reception of an annular bushing 1a through whicha cable 15 is adapted to extend.

Centrally of one of the shell members 13, I 12 or hooked portion ofspring members 18. l

Each of the spring members 18 includes a hooked portion adapted to fitinto the grooves 17 and a somewhat curved contact portion 19 as well asa sharply outwardly curved terminal portion 18a.

Attached to each of the terminal portions 18a is one of the conductors20 which make up the cable 15. The attachment of the cable 20 to theportion 18a may be effected in numerous ways such as the provision of aterminal notch and an opening through which the end of the conductorextends and is knotted as shown at 21, or by means of binding posts orsolder as preferred. The two halves of the shell may be secured togetherby a plurality of bolts 23 extending therethrough. These preferablyextend through the rib 16.

With the foregoing in mind, it will be obvious that a pull on the cable15 will result not only in the exertion of the force intended to pullthe socket off the plugs 11 but also in a component at substantiallyright angles to the direction of the plugs 11 tending to move thecontacting portion 19 of the ,spring members 18 laterally with respectto such posts. The annular bushing 14 will of course have an opening ofsufficient size to allow a slight sliding motion of the cable 15 or theconductors 2O constituting it.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that I have provided a devicewell adapted for its intended purpose and exceedingly simple inconstruction and while I haye .Shown and described the preferredembodiment of my invention, I wish it understood that numerous changesmay be made without departing from the scope of my invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An electricsocket including a. shell made in part at least of insulating material,an opening to the interior of said shell adapted to recelve a post, acontact in said shell adapted to engage said post, means adapted 1, toresiliently urge said contact into engagement with said post, aconductorentering said shell and electrically connected Wit-h said ycontact, and means including portions of the recited structures wherebya pull on said cable l exerts a force on said contact a considerablecomponent of which tends to move said contact in a direction lateral tosaidpost.

2. An electric socket including, a pair of shell members made ofinsulating material, a

; -12- central, longitudinally extended rib integral ,Sharp pair ofconductors passing through said nar- *withv one of said shell members, apair of L'grooves formed in saidrib near one end of said shell, eachbeing substantially as deep as the thickness of said rib, a narrowopening at .11j the other end of said shell, a pair of spring members,each having a hook-shaped end portion received in one of said L-grooves,an outwardl bowed central kcontact portion and a sharply outwardly bentterminal portion, a

air of conductors assinfr throufh said-narrow opening and connected oneto each said terminal portion.

3. An electric socket including, a pair of shell members made ofinsulating material,

a central, `longitudinally extending rib integ'ral with oneof said shellmembers, a pair of L-grooves formed in .said rib near one end of saidshell, each being substantially ,as deep as the thickness of said rib, anarrow opening at the other end of said shell, a pair of spring members,each having a hook-shaped end portion received in one of'said L-grooves,an out- Wardl bowed central contact portion and a liy outwardly bentterminal portion, a

row opening and connected one to each said terminal portion, said ribextending substantially the full length of said spring member.

4. An electric socket including,'a pair of shell members made ofinsulating material, a

longitudinally extending rib intergral with one of said shell members, apair of L-grooves formed in said rib near one end of saidv shell, anarrow opening at the other end of said shell, a pair of spring members,each having l a portion received in one of said L-grooves, an

. outwardly bowed central contact portion and an outwardly bentterminalportion, a pair of conductors passing through said narrow y opening andconnectedone to each said terminal portion. Y

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

ARTHUR F. ROSWURM.

